Horse-detacher



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE IASIIINGTON' MOLAUGIIEN AND ALONZO KELLEY LOFTIN, OF GASTONIA,NORTH CAROLINA.

HORSE-DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,990, dated January8, 1889. Application filed October 30, 1888. Serial No. 289,547. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that we, GEORGE VASHINGTON MCLAUGHEN and ALONZO KELLEYLOFTIN, citizens of the United States, residing` at Gastonia, in thecounty of Gaston and State of North Carolina, have invented anew anduseful Improvement in Horse-Detachers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in horse-detachers; and itconsists `in a certain novel construction and combination of devices,fully set forth hereinafter in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and speci fically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a thilland the haine connected th ereto, showing the improved detacher appliedin operative position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of aportion of the thill. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates a thill, which isprovided near its front end with a vertical longitudinal slot, B, inwhich tits the link or 'plate O, that is provided near its upper edgewith a longitudinal slot, c, having the oltsets or notches c c atintervals therein. The front end of this link or plate is provided witha V-shaped notch, D, which engages a wedge-shaped tenon or projection,E, at the it'ront end of the slot in the thill, and the rear ond of thelink or plaie is beveled downwardl y and forwardly, so that, to arrangethe link or plate in the slot in the thill, the lfi'ont end thereof isfirst engaged with the tcnon or projection at the front end of the slot,and then the rear end thereof is -pressed down into the slot.

In a longitudinal bore, F, in rear of' the slot B, is mounted thesprilig-actuated lockingbolt G, which is provided with a beveled frontend engaging' a notch, ll, in the rear end of the link or plate. Thebolt is provided on its outer side with a lateral eye, g, which projectsthrough a slot, g', in the outer side of the t-hill, and the front endof an operating cord, I, is attached to the said eye and passesrearwardly along' the thill through the guidecyes zT to the driver. Allthismechanism at the front end of the thill is preferably inclosed in ametallic tip, K, which tits on the end ol' the thill and forms part ofthe same, but it maybe set in the thill proper, it desired.

L represents the haine of the ordinary construction, which is providedat a suitable point with a rearwardly-extending plate, M,l1aving theelongated loop N thereon; and O represents a short trace-chain, thefront link of which is engaged in the loop N and the rear link` isengaged inthe slot ot' the link or plate O.

The front endet the trace-chain engages in either the rear or the frontend of the loop N, accordingI to whether the horse is pulling orbacking, andin order to lengthen or shorten the d aft the rear link ofthe chain is engaged in different notches c', whichregister,respectively, with corresponding notches c2 c2 in the upper side of thethill on opposite sides of the slot B therein.

' The operation of the improved detacher will new be readily understood.The link or plate (l is carried bythe trace-chain, which is attached tothe haine, and when it is desired to attach the horse to the vehicle thesaid link or plate is engaged in the slot in the thill in the mannerbefore described. If it should become necessary to detach the horseinstantly from the vehicle on account ol' an accident, or because thehorse is unruly, the cord I is drawn rearwardly, and the spring-actuatedbolt is disengaged from the rear end of the link or plate, therebyallowing the said rear end to be drawn instantly ont of the slot by thedraft on the trace-chain.

It will be understood that we do not desire to be limited strictly tothe precise details of construction and arrangen'lent herein specihed,as we may alter the same in various minor particulars without departingfrom the spirit and intent of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claiml. The combination, withthe haine, of the link or plate Alit-ting in a slot in the thill, thechain connecting the said link or plate to the haine, and a spring-boltmounted on the thill and engaging' a notch in the link or plate,substantially set forth.

2. The combination, with the thill provided with a longitiulinal Slot,ot.' the link or plate i,

iitting in the said slot, the rearwardextending arm on the haineprovided with an elongated loop7 and the traee-ehain connected to thelink or plate and sliding in the said loop, an set forth.

i3. The Coniliination, with the thll provided with along-it udinalSlothavinga wedge-Shaped tenon or projection at its` `front end7 thelilik or plate flexibly Connected to the haine, fitting in the Slot inthe thill and provided at its and the operating-Cord l, attached to alateral eye on the holt and passing rearwardly through guiding-eyes onthe thill, suhstan tall)Y as Specified.

l'ront end with a V-Hhaped notoh engaging the 1 said tenon orprojeetioin and the Hiring-holt engaging a noteh in the leal' end ot"the link or plato, substantially as speeil'ied.

-l-. The combination. with a thill provided with a longii udial slothaving a wedgtwhaped projevtitm, IE, plate cannieeted by a chain to thehaine, titting in the slot in the illill and provided at its t'ront endwith aV-Shz'qied noteh engaging the wedge-shaped projeetion in the lalotthe apring-aethated liolt fitting in a lfnigitlulinal here at the rearend of the lalot and engaging at its front end, oi the link or i a notchin the rear end ol' the link or plate, p

The combination, with the thill provided with a lmigiludnal slot, ll,and the springaetuated holt mounted in a lloro in rear ot' the Slot, ofthe link or plate C, lfitting in the Slot and engaged by the holt andprovided with a longitudinal Slot7 e, having otlsets or notches o in itsupper side registering with 'notohef` f2 in the upper Sideoi' the,thill, the elongated loop on the thill7 and the trace-chain ei'igaged atits Iront end in the lQaid loop and at its rear end in the registeringott'sets and notches rf r2, when the link or plate is in position in theslot, Substantially as Specified.

.ln testiinon y that we elaiin the toregoingas our own we have heretoaiiixed oursignatures in presenee ol' two witnesses.

GEOl-{GE WASHINGTON MolnllldllEN. AT ONZO KET/LEY LOF'IIN. \\'itnesseszJ. C. LEwls, S. E. Cranio.

